Ribbed innersole having a wedge piece in the heel region



RIBBED INNERSOLE HAVING A WEDGE PIECE 1N THE HEEL REGION March 8, 1955 G. E. MUSEBECK Filed May 7, 1951 United States Patent O RIBBED INNERSOLE HAVING A WEDGE PIECE IN THE HEEL REGION George E. Musebeck, Oconomowoc, Wis., assignor to Musebeck Shoe Company, Oconomowoc, Wis., a corporation of Illinois Application May 7, 1951, Serial No. 224,994

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-22) The invention relates to a ribbed innersole having a wedge piece in the heel region.

In my prior Patent No. 1,916,198, issued July 4, 1933, an innersole is illustrated' wherein there is an arch supporting extension and wherein there is an extra thickness of leather in the nature of a wedge secured to the bottom of the innersole and extending from a point beneath the ball of the foot to the extreme rear of the heel, the extra thickness being located on the inner side of the shoe and being about half of the width of the shoe.

An object of the present invention is to provide an innersole having an improved inseam rib construction, the arrangement including a bevelled edge for the lower side of the innersole so that the base of the inseam rib is supported at an angle on said bevelled portion. Due to this angle, extra room is provided for the welt, upper and lining, so that the welt is relatively level in the final assembly.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the art of manufacturing innersoles, and all its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claim, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views Fig. 1 is a view looking at the underside of the improved innersole, part of the fabric tape being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

F Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the wedge alone taken as indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view through a completed shoe taken at approximately the same location as is indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved innersole comprises a main thickness of leather or other suitable material, the numeral 9 designating a conventional lining layer. As one feature of the present invention, the entire periphery of the underside of the piece 10 is bevelled as indicated at 11 so that the peripheral edge is of substantially less thickness than the remainder thereof.

The innersole is of a type which is provided with an arch supporting extension as indicated by the numeral 12, and it is to be noted that the bevelling 11 extends around the outer edge of the extension 12. Suitably secured by a suitable adhesive to the underside of the piece 10, as indicated in Fig. l, is an extra thickness of material in the nature of a wedge 13 of leather or other suitable material. One edge' 14 of the wedge is cut so that it extends in substantially the same line that the edge of the innersole proper would extend if there were no arch supporting extension 11. This edge is relatively thick as indicated in Fig. 4, but decreases in thickness somewhat toward the front as indicated in Fig. 3.

The forward edge 15 of the wedge extends forwardly to a point beneath the arch of the foot which is somewhat beyond the front edge of the heel of the shoe. The outside edge of the wedge extends substantially straight rearwardly for a distance as at 16. It is to be noted that the forward portion of the wedge has a width approxi- "ice mately equal to the distance between the inseam ribs plus the width of one of the outer fabric flanges 22 which is used to hold the rib in position. The edge 16 is then curved toward the inner side of the shoe as at 17 so that there is no extra thickness beneath the outside rear corner of the heel area of the innersole and no extra thickness beneath the outer edge. The material at the underside of the wedge adjacent its forward edge 15 is bevelled as at 18 and the material adjacent the edge portions 16 and 17 is also bevelled as at 19.

After the wedge has been adhesively secured in position as shown in Fig. 4, then an inseam rib of the taped-on variety is applied. This type of rib assembly includes a filler strip 2u of leather or other suitable material which is maintained in assembled relationship with respect to the innersole by a strip of fabric tape 21, such as canvas, which tape has base flanges 22 on each side of the filler strip 20, which anges are adhesively secured in position, as shown. Secured beneath a forepart of the bottom of the innersole and cut to fit between the inseam ribs is a piece of canvas or other fabric 23. The edges of the canvas 23 overlap the inner base anges 22.

lt is also preferred to use another strip of tape 24 which is substantially L-shaped in cross-sectlon when applied, and which tape covers the inner angle formed by the junotion or' the inseam rib with the bottom of the innersole. All of these pieces of canvas are adhesively secured, one on the other, after the wedge 13 has been connected to the underside or' the piece 10, the inseam rib being extended to cover the forward portion of the insert 13 on the inner side of the shoe, as is clear from Fig. 1. After all ot' these parts have been secured in position, a line of stitching 25 is employed to extend along the apex of the angle formed between the inseam rib and the innersole at the inner side ot' the rib. This line of stitching extends entirely through the piece 10, as shown in Fig. 2. On the inner side or' the shoe, at the rear, the stitching 25 extends through the wedge 13 and through the piece 10, as is clear trom Fig. 3.

1t is to be noted that the forward outer edge 16 of the wedge 13 is covered by the inner flange ot' the fabric strip 22 and by the ilange of the fabric strip 24. lt is also to be noted from Fig. 4 that the bevel 19 on the wedge approximately matches the bevel 11 of the innersole so that the base flanges 22 of the fabric tape are supported on bevelledareas both around the forward portion of the innersole and all along the outer side of the innersole to the rear end of the inseam rib.

By having the edge of the innersole bevelled, as at 11, extra room is provided in the nal assembly for receiving the fabric thicknesses 22 and 24. Furthermore, by having the lowest part of this bevel on the outer side of the inseam rib there is extra room between the welt and innersole to acommodate the lower edges of the upper and lining after the welt has been stitched in position. This makes it possible to keep the upper surface of the welt on substantially the same plane as the lower surface of the center of the innersole. ln conventional shoe constructions there is a tendency for the welt to be at a. somewhat lower level with the result that the center of the innersole is slightly higher. This is objectionable as it provides room for collapse during use.

Referring to Fig. 6, which is a transverse sectional View looking rearwardly, it is to be noted that this shoe is formed on a last which is shaped as indicated by the dot and dash line A. This last, instead of being substantially at in a transverse direction across the bottom of the heel, has the forward inner corner of the heel cut away and rounded as r`at 26 to better t the shape of the heel of the foot. By referring to Fig. 6 it is clear that the thickest portion of the wedge 13 is located so that it comes below that portion of the last which rounds up most sharply. Thus, the insert 13 is shaped and positioned to provide a substantially normal undersurface for the bottom of the innersole assembly in spite of the abnormal rounding at 26. Thus, a relatively flat seat is provided for the heel 27 of the shoe after the latter is secured in position, as is clear from Fig. 6. If it were not for the wedge 13 there would be a tendency for the heel 27 to extend at an angle transversely and this would be undesirable.

From the above it is apparent that the improved construction provides support under the inner outside corner of the heel below the location 26 where the special last has been cut away. It is also apparent that the improved method of construction makes it simple to utilize a wedge 13 without having any problems in connection with the rear ends of the inseam rib. By using a tapedon inseam rib to extend over the forward portion of the wedge on the inner side of the shoe, and by employing the line of stitching 25, a well integrated construction is provided which is very simple from a manufacturing standpoint, the stitching serving to maintain the wedge in perfect position. It is also to be noted that the opposite edge of the wedge on the outer side of the shoe is bevelled to cooperate with the bevel of the insole proper in furnishing an angled support for the base ilanges of the inseam rib.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated, as may come within the scope of the claim.

What I claim is:

An innersole for shoes comprising: a rst thickness of leather of a size to t beneath the underside of the foot and having its edges gradually bevelled on the underside, a wedge piece of less width than said irst piece secured beneath the heel area of the first piece of material and extending forwardly beyond the heel area, said wedge piece being located principally below the inner forward corner of the heel area, a separate inseam rib structure depending from the bevelled portion of underside of said innersole having a portion extending beneath said wedge piece near the inner edge of the innersole and having a portion extending adjacent to but laterally beyond the wedge near the outer edge of the innersole and including a strip of fabric tape having base flanges secured to the innersole for holding the inseam rib in position, a portion of the fabric tape near the inner edge of the innersole extending beneath and being secured directly to the wedge piece, and the inner ange only of the tape overlapping and being secured to the wedge piece near the outer edge of the innersole, said overlapped portion of the wedge piece being bevelled to form a substantial continuation of the bevel of said first thickness of leather.

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